The Will Ferrell comedy “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” raced ahead of the competition to remain the box-office champ for a second weekend with $23 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates released yesterday.

Last week's news of a terror plot against airliners apparently did not dampen audience appetite for Oliver Stone's “World Trade Center.” The Paramount Pictures release beat expectations by earning $19 million over the weekend to place it third at the weekend box office.

THE NUMBERS

1. “Talladega Nights: The Balladof Ricky Bobby,”$23 million.

2. “Step Up,”$21 million.

3. “World TradeCenter,”$19 million.

4. “Barnyard,”$10.1 million.

5. “Pulse,”$8.5 million.

6. “Pirates ofthe Caribbean:Dead Man's Chest,”$7.2 million.

7. “Zoom,”$4.6 million.

8. “The Descent,” $4.6 million.

9. “Miami Vice,”$4.5 million.

10. “Monster House,” $3.3 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters,according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.Final figures will bereleased today.

The shocker of the weekend was the high-school dance film “Step Up” from The Walt Disney Co., which placed second with a box-office take of $21 million.

Disney flooded the Internet and music television networks with dance videos from the film, a strategy that broadened the audience from the target female teen demographic. While 70 percent of the audience was female, about one-quarter was in the 18-24 age range, according to exit polling.

The performance of the top 12 films was up 6.35 percent from the same weekend last year, making it the fourth weekend in a row that the box office has outpaced last year's levels.

Diversity played a big role in generating attendance, analysts said.

“World Trade Center” turned in the best weekend debut ever for director Stone, whose previous, controversial films such as “JFK” and “Nixon” made many wonder how he would portray events in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The film has earned $26.8 million since it opened nationwide Wednesday.

News of a foiled terrorist plot allegedly targeting planes heading to the United States had prompted speculation that moviegoers might shun the film, recounting efforts to rescue two police officers caught under the rubble of the Twin Towers.

“World Trade Center” is the second film this year to revisit 9/11. April's “United 93” from Universal opened in far fewer theaters and brought in $11.5 million in its opening weekend.

In its third week, the independent film “Little Miss Sunshine” continued its impressive run.

The film, released by Fox Searchlight, brought in an average of $16,993 per screen in 29 cities for a total of $2.6 million over the weekend. It is set for wider release at the end of the month.